Wonder of Little Things

By: Vince Copley, Lea McInerney

Narrated by: Gregory Fryer

Vince Copley was born on a government mission into poverty in 1936. By the time he was 15, five of his family had died. But at a home for Aboriginal boys, he befriended future leaders Charlie Perkins, John Moriarty and Gordon Briscoe. They were friendships that would last a lifetime.

'Always remember you're as good as anybody else,' his mother, Kate, often told him. And he was, a champion footballer and premiership-winning coach. But change was in the air, and Copley knew he had more to contribute. So he teamed up with Charlie Perkins, his 'brother' from the boys' home, to help make life better for his people. At every step, with his beloved wife, Brenda, Copley found light in the darkness, the friendly face in the crowd, the small moments and little things that make the world go round.

In The Wonder of Little Things, Copley tells his story with humour, humility and wisdom. Written with his friend Lea McInerney over many cups of tea, it is an Australian classic in the making, a plain-speaking account of hardship, courage and optimism told without self-pity or big-noting.

2025, DANZ Children’s Book Award Non-Fiction, Long-listed

©2022 Vincent Copley and Leanne McInerney. Vincent Copley and Leanne McInerney assert their moral right to be identified as the authors of this Work. First published in English by HarperCollins Publishers Australia Pty Limited in (P)2022 Bolinda Publishing. This audio version produced by arrangement with HarperCollins Publishers Australia Pty Limited